The Proper Name of the CREATOR

Part 2: The Proper Name (Not "Names") of the CREATOR

By Ken Burns

As you are probably aware, many people speak of the “names of God” when discussing the identity of the CREATOR of the heavens and the earth. But did you know that, according to Strong’s Concordance [built into the Blue Letter Bible software (http://www.blueletterbible.org)], not one of the following terms occurs in the King James Version of the Bible (KJV)?

• "Names of God" or “God’s names”
• "Names of the Lord" or “the Lord’s names”
• "Names of the Father" or “Father’s names”
• "My names" or "thy names" or "his names"

In other words, the term “name” is never used in the plural with reference to the CREATOR. And you can confirm that statement by doing a word study of “name” in a good Bible concordance (such as Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible or Young’s Analytical Concordance to the Bible) or using Bible software with concordance features [such as the Blue Letter Bible (http://www.blueletterbible.org)].

Instead, we find that there are many places in the KJV where the exact expression "the name of God" (with “name” in the singular), or a very similar expression, referring to the CREATOR occurs. For example:

“The name of God”  

Psalm 69:30:
I will praise the name of God [elohim] with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving [emphasis added].

Daniel 2:20:
Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God ['elahh, #426 (an Aramaic word)] for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his [emphasis added]:

Romans 2:24:
For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written [emphasis added].

1 Timothy 6:1:
Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honour, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed [emphasis added].

Revelation 16:9:
And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory [emphasis added].

“The name of my God”

Pro. 30:9:
Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD [YHWH, Yahweh]? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God [elohim] in vain.

Rev. 3:12:
Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.

“The name of thy God”

Lev. 18:21:
And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God [elohim]: I am the LORD [YHWH, Yahweh].

Lev 19:12:
And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God [elohim]: I am the LORD [YHWH, Yahweh].

“The name of our God”

Psa 20:5:
We will rejoice in thy salvation, and in the name of our God [elohim] we will set up our banners: the LORD [YHWH, Yahweh] fulfil all thy petitions.

Psa. 44:20:
If we have forgotten the name of our God [elohim], or stretched out our hands to a strange god [el, #410];

“The name of their God”

Lev 21:6:
They shall be holy unto their God [elohim], and not profane the name of their God [elohim]: for the offerings of the LORD [YHWH, Yahweh] made by fire, and the bread of their God [elohim], they do offer: therefore they shall be holy.

“The name of the God of Israel”

Ezra 5:1:
Then the prophets, Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied unto the Jews that were in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God ['elahh, #426, (an Aramaic word)] of Israel, even unto them.

“The name of the God of Jacob”

Psa. 20:1:
The LORD [YHWH, Yahweh] hear thee in the day of trouble; the name of the God [elohim] of Jacob defend thee;

We also see a number of occurrences of the term "the name of the Lord" in the New Testament where "Lord" refers to the CREATOR of the heavens and the earth. Here are some examples:

Matthew 21:9:
And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest [emphasis added].

Matthew 23:39:
For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord [emphasis added].

Mark 11:9, 10:
And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord:

Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest [emphasis added].

Luke 13:35:
Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord [emphasis added].

Luke 19:38:
Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest [emphasis added].

John 12:13:
Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord [emphasis added].

In addition, we see three occurrences of the term "Father's name" with reference to the CREATOR in the New Testament:

John 5:43:
I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive [emphasis added].

John 10:25:
Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me [emphasis added].

Revelation 14:1:
And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads [emphasis added].

So, we can conclude from reviewing biblical occurrences of the term “name” as it is used with reference to the CREATOR that it is correct biblical usage to speak about the “name" of the CREATOR and that it is incorrect biblical usage to speak about the “names" of the CREATOR.

[Please feel free to share the article above with anyone, as long as you send the material in its entirety, unedited, and include my name and contact email address along with it:

Ken Burns

kenNO-SPAMburns@hawaii.rr.com.

(Just remove the "NO-SPAM", leaving kenburns@ . . ., to send me a message.)

Thanks and GOD bless you. Your comments would be appreciated.]